Surviving in the General's Mansion - Chapter 56

“What makes his life so miserable?” Dongfang Wei continued.

“Oh, don’t even get me started. Being a general is miserable to begin with.

“He has to fight battles and march all day, and he’s responsible for so many people’s lives… and after all that, people still curse him.”

Cang Chuli remained utterly unmoved, as though she were talking about someone else.

“Who curses him?”

Dongfang Wei’s interest was piqued.

“Loads of people! Other countries curse him, and so do all those civil officials… Being cursed would be bad enough, but people scheme against him too!”

“Who could possibly scheme against him?” Dongfang Wei asked.

Xia Heng seemed to find sitting uncomfortable. She slowly lowered herself onto her stomach and tucked one hand beneath her cheek like a cat curling up beside a fire.

“Lots of people. My father, for one! And my uncle…”

Cang Chuli and Dongfang Wei exchanged a glance.

“But mainly the Left Prime Minister!”

At those words, even Qiulin instantly became alert.

“The Left Prime Minister is plotting against Cang Chuli?” Dongfang Wei asked.

“He isn’t just plotting against our general. He’s clearly plotting for the throne!”

Xia Heng pursed her lips.

“Tsk, tsk. He’s so old, yet he still has such an unrealistic dream.

“Why would anyone want to be emperor? It would be exhausting. If it were me, I’d rather be a wealthy lady of leisure!

“I could eat whatever I wanted every day, sleep as late as I liked, and never have to work! Hehe.”

The mention of the throne made all three sober people in the room turn grave.

Qiulin dropped to her knees with a thud. Dongfang Wei waved for her to rise.

This group of secret guards had trained since childhood and served him for many years. He trusted them that much.

“How do you know?” Dongfang Wei asked in a gentler voice.

“Me? I’m the one he ordered my father to send in here! He even told me to carry out an assassination. So stupid!”

Xia Heng pointed at herself, growing animated.

“You have no idea! He gave me some kind of gu poison and said Cang Chuli had been injured, so I was supposed to poison him…”

Dongfang Wei swept his gaze over Cang Chuli and hurriedly asked, “Did you?”

“Of course not! That’s Cang Chuli, Huaxia’s General of the Northern Pacification! Who am I to take him on? I can’t even master lightness skills…

“I scraped the powder out of my fingernail and dumped it on the ground as soon as I arrived.”

Xia Heng shook her head and demonstrated how she had picked the powder out from beneath her nail, then proudly lifted her drunken little face.

“See how smart I am?”

Only then did Dongfang Wei relax.

“Why didn’t you obey your father?”

Xia Heng poked her head around Cang Chuli and leaned toward Dongfang Wei.

“Are you crazy? Who could beat him? That day, he slit a man’s throat with one little dagger!”

As she spoke, she raised a hand to cover her own neck as though she had been the one whose throat was cut.

“He also tied people up and whipped them! And he actually has his own Body Disposal Team! He’s terrifying!

“So I switched sides immediately!”

Cang Chuli pushed her back into place. She even looked proud of herself.

Watching Xia Heng repeatedly dance along the brink of death had left Qiulin’s heart numb.

If this woman made it out of here alive today, Qiulin would have to call her a badass.

“Didn’t you just say he was very cool?”

Dongfang Wei gave his friend a teasing look, but Cang Chuli showed no reaction.

“Oh, right! He’s Huaxia’s strongest shield. But that doesn’t stop him from being vicious.”

Xia Heng continued staring at the mutton in Cang Chuli’s bowl.

“Then do you know how the Left Prime Minister intends to plot against him?”

Xia Heng thought for a moment and began counting on her fingers.

“Replacing the account books? I already stopped that! He wanted me to find the General’s Command Seal, but only a fool would find it for him! Hmm… Oh!”

As though something had just occurred to her, Xia Heng leaned over again and said mysteriously, “There was a disaster in the south. You know about that, Jade Emperor?”

“There was a flood in the south, but it has already been brought under control…” Dongfang Wei said thoughtfully.

Xia Heng pursed her lips and shook her head.

“The flood is under control, sure! But there’s a plague too! Not many people have died, but there won’t be any grain this year!”

“A plague?”

“Yes! A plague! The county magistrate doesn’t dare report it at all, but the grain being shipped to the Zhenbei Army comes from the plague-stricken area!”

She looked at Cang Chuli again and fussed, “When you go back down, tell your incarnation not to eat that grain, all right? He won’t believe me if I tell him! Honestly, I’m worried sick.”

“Cheng Zhesong! What a vicious way to kill without spilling a drop of blood!”

Dongfang Wei slammed his chopsticks onto the table.

“There is a plague at the Southern Border, yet they dare conceal it? Whose realm do they think this is?”

His voice was loud enough to make Xiao Yaqing mumble and roll over in her sleep.

“Isn’t that entirely in keeping with his usual methods?” Cang Chuli analyzed calmly. “And when I was injured, only you and Deputy General Zhang knew within Huaxia. Where do you think he learned of it?”

Dongfang Wei frowned.

“Tujue sent envoys so suddenly this time. I wonder if the two matters are connected.”

“How did you…”

Dongfang Wei looked at Xia Heng again, only for his question to die on his lips.

She had one piece of mutton in one hand and was stuffing it into her mouth, while the other hand was busy cramming more mutton into her sleeve.

Qiulin hurried forward to stop her.

“Shh! Qiu Third, I’m taking some tribute back for you, Zhao Die, and the others! You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

Xia Heng had been watching all along. Qiu Third had not touched a single bite. As she spoke, she tried to shove the half-gnawed lamb rib in her hand into Qiulin’s mouth.

“I’ve eaten! I really have! Put that down.”

Xia Heng refused to relent.

“This is tribute! It’s blessed with immortal energy! Even if you don’t eat it, Zhao Die and the others will. Stop pulling me!”

Qiulin refused to let go. Before long, she had pinned Xia Heng’s arms and pressed her to the floor. Xia Heng struggled for a while, then fell asleep right there.

Everyone looked at Xia Heng, finally asleep.

“Your maid is rather interesting. How did Xia Yun manage to raise a daughter like her?” Dongfang Wei asked with a laugh.

“It seems our gamble paid off.

“But Lady Hao raised her. Xia Yun doesn’t possess that kind of ability.”

Cang Chuli’s expression relaxed considerably.

“I’ll replace that shipment of grain first. As for the plague, we’ll settle that account properly.”

“Considering how much she contributed today, perhaps you can refrain from tying her to a pillar and whipping her when you return?” Dongfang Wei teased.

“If I tied her to a pillar and whipped her now, Qiu Third would probably object.”

Qiulin blushed and knelt, but did not deny it.

“Of course she would. Xia Heng is now that lady’s second brother. If I punished her, wouldn’t her big brother come demanding that I hand her over?”

Cang Chuli tipped his chin toward Xiao Yaqing, who was sleeping soundly nearby, then smoothed his sleeve.

“Some people have gone all this time without managing a single conversation with her. Others have already become her sworn sisters.”

Dongfang Wei’s smile froze.

By the time Xia Heng regained some awareness, she was already in a carriage.

Seeing Qiulin sitting properly beside her, Xia Heng assumed Xiao Yaqing had sent her to fetch her.

“Thanks!”

After forcing out that brief thanks, she still felt dizzy.

“I’m going to lie down for a while. Wake me when we reach the mansion.”

Qiulin looked at the food box beside her.

Before their departure, the general had ordered Fengyue Pavilion to prepare a fresh serving of mutton for them to take away.

Then she looked at Xia Heng, whose head lolled to one side as she slept soundly.

From the bottom of her heart, Qiulin said, “What a badass.”